Odyssey [Hardcover]

Being a long time fan of hard science fiction I look forward to all of Jack McDevitt's books. Sadly, "Odyssey" is not one of the best but it's still a reasonable read.

This is the latest book in the Priscilla Hutchin's series or Hutch as she is more often known. Hutch has moved into an administration job at the Academy (a 23rd century version of NASA)and is not having a good time. There is strong pressure to cut Academy funding and concentrate on earthbound problems such as the greenhouse effect (sound familiar?). It looks as if many interstellar missions and projects will have to be severely cut. She also has to deal with a boss who is a very poor people manager.

At the same time there are increasing reports of "Moonriders", strange spherical objects possibly of alien origin that appear around interstellar sites. Partly as a PR exercise for the Academy, an expedition is organised to place sensors to study these objects if they really exist. Gregory McAllister, one of the Academy's critics and a character in previous books is part of the crew together with the space cadet daughter of a senator who is also highly critical of Academy policy.

Predictably, the moonriders turn out to be real and dangerous and the final part of the book centres around the interstellar "Origins" project, a hypercollider intended to investigate the Big Bang in much greater detail than before. There are the usual space rescues and brushes with death but everything basically turns out okay in the end.

The main problem with this book is that it is glacially slow moving and nothing much really happens until close to the end. There are tantalising hints about why no intelligent life has yet been found in the galaxy which I thought might be resolved by the moonriders but nothing happens in this regard. It's really quite a disappointing book and I was expecting much more. There are enough Mcdevitt touches though for it to be worth three stars but only just.

Ok...after taking a look at some of the other reviews, I have to say that I think that some people need to read Mr. McDevitt's other works extensively before they slam "Odyssey." A Jack McDevitt novel is not space opera. If you want Star Wars type of action read David Weber and John Ringo. I have nothing against the space opera genre by the way, but that is not McDevitt's style. There IS acton in "Odyssey," it is just that it is subtle and does not jump out and slam you in the face. McDevitt is a thinking person's writer and this book makes very pertinent statements about our world today. For instance, doesn't Orion Tours remind you of a certain company that Darth Cheney is involved with? He also tackles other issues, such as religious fanaticism, global warming, the underfunding of NASA and the logical reasons for having a space program.

Also, one reviewer could not see any connection with Homer's "The Odyssey." They are all through the book, go ahead and THINK and you'll find the connections. Hutch IS Odysseus; the weary wanderer who just wants the peace of home and the explorer, hungry to know what is beyond the horizon. Mr. McDevitt is subtle, NOT boring. His type of writing might not be for everyone: hell, musically I prefer the Byrds to the Beatles, but they both have merit. Different strokes for different folks, but at least be fair when you examine a work.

Yes, Jack McDevitt has pounded out a bit of a stinker here. I agree with most of the criticisms of this book: that it moves too slowly, that Hutch is consigned to a tertiary role, that it is too contrived in places, that McAllister resembles Alex Benedict too closely for proper series decorum...but I'm not going to pounce too quickly until I see how "Cauldron" turns out. And here's why:

For a first-time reader of Jack McDevitt, "Odyssey" would have been quite a let down, but for those who have followed the series since its inception, "Odyssey" wasn't really that bad. I have enjoyed everything I have read by Jack McDevitt, and so I have confidence in his ability to turn this around. It seems that there is always a transitional book in any long-running series, a book that doesn't have the same immediacy and weight of the previous books (think "At All Costs", David Weber), and we can hope that this is the case with the Priscilla Hutchins series.

McDevitt is trying to air out some legitimate concerns about human nature; our species' inability to remain focused upon long-term goals where instead we seem always to fall back upon self-serving hedonism and mysticism. The space agencies in the Priscilla Hutchins stories have actually saved the Earth, have discovered incredible wonders on distant planets--have laid bare a potential galactic threat exacerbated by ignorance, and yet people have returned their attentions to the silly and ludicrous. Those who are more far-seeing find themselves at odds with public attention and resort to manipulation and deflection to achieve their goals. There are real-world analogies: close-passing asteroids and the sure odds that one will hit us sooner or later, and yet NASA is sidelined into a menial agency, under funded and little appreciated. People debate religion while the Earth heats up, remain complaisant during a war defined as never ending, and allow media outlets to serve up emotionally distressed pop-culture stars instead.

McDevitt is arguing for rationality; this is why a central character is Greek, why there are references to Plato, and a condemnation of the hoi polloi in all but name. But skepticism is also essential--McAllister's character is a virtual Skeptics Society, slashing at frauds manufactured by well-meaning scientists and officials as well as those propagated by irrational belief. If Jack McDevitt is trying to turn from space opera toward deeper themes, I will give him that chance.